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Plant a tree now … it saves lives

Calamities happen

The Philippines, like all nations, experience natural disasters, such as the mudslides this past February in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. Death tolls mounted above 150 while searchers continued to dig out bodies of families huddled together in buried village homes.

Reversing reforestation Mudslides and floods are not the only consequences of deforestation, says Cainta Greenpark Kiwanian Jun M. Sambalilo. “The destruction of these forests has had disastrous effects on the unique and rich Philippine biodiversity—with many endemic species pushed to the brink of extinction,” Jun reports. “This is the primary reason the Philippines is ranked as having the most severely endangered faunas in the world and prone to calamities as what have been happening in Southern Leyte and other parts of the country. “Indeed, the Kiwanis Club of Cainta Greenpark is just doing its share to help in a small but meaningful way.”

Kiwanians and Guardians pause in their planting to pose, before resuming their mission to save a Philippine hillside.

The nation’s Disaster Coordinating Council also reported 14 people killed in landslides and four drowned in floodwaters in the northeastern part of Mindanao, near Leyte. About 20,000 people were evacuated. More than half of the village’s 83 houses were destroyed or buried.

Authorities blamed illegal logging.

“This grim scenario may continu9e to happen if the government does nothing about the deforestation,” says Jun M. Sambalilo, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Cainta Greenpark, Cainta, Rizal. “The destruction of natural resources—particularly rampant illegal logging—must be stopped.

“And the people must do their share.”

The Cainta Greenpark club has taken up that challenge.

One sunny morning, members went up to the mountains of Brgy. Pinugay in Tanay, Rizal, to plant trees. Following a 90-minute drive, the 25 Kiwanians took off on foot for a 30-minute uphill trek, carrying black plastic bags of young trees, seedlings, food, water, and other supplies. They were joined by another group of volunteers called the Guardians Brotherhood.

With the help of area farmers, about 150 young trees and 300 seedlings were planted before noon.

“It was a festive mood during lunchtime,” Jun says, “as Kiwanians and the Guardians joined in a salu-salo (sharing food).”

Anticipating the presence of indigenous residents, the Kiwanians brought used clothing for the adults and toys for the children.

“This is only the beginning,” says immediate past president Mario Beltran. “We will conduct other tree-planting projects in other areas to show our commitment to the reforestation of our place.